Growth analysis of two bean cultivars under irrigation in no tillage and the conventional tillage

This work was carried out with the objective of evaluating, through the gro wth analysis, the effects of no tillage, and the conventional tillage on th e development of two common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars, sown in two different row spacings, under a center-pivot irrigation system. The ex periment was carried in 1994, at Senador Canedo, Goias State, Brazil, locat ed at 16 degrees 41' South, 49 degrees 16' West, and 741 m above sea level. The experimental design was an entirely randomized with split-split-plot a nd eight treatments. For evaluating leaf area and dry matter production (W- t), ten samples were collected at seven days intervals, randomly taking thr ee plants, replicated two times. The growth analysis showed that, in the no tillage system, the bean plant increased the W-t, the leaf area index, the crop growth rate, the relative growth rate, the net assimilation rate, and the leaf area duration, and decreased the leaf area ratio. The Apore culti var was better than Safira, without row spacing effect. The growth analysis was shown as an adequate tool for evaluating the development of the common bean plant.